Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-05-14
A HEARTLESS PLRT.
BY BURT BYRNE.

BL DD4AL 8LElNE.
Mrs. La Rue was in sore perplexity and
dire trouble as she sat in her coy boudoir,
the Prettiest in AshtOWn, knitting a snowy
seaside"
She was not accustomed to trouble, al
though ten years a widow; for Mr.. La Rue,
many years older than herself, had given
and received q calm, quiet affection and
when he died, leaving her q widow at %,
had bestowed upon her his ample fortune,
uncontrolled by conditions.
Two beautiful children were but an
added happiness In Imogene La Rue's
welded life, being healthy, loving dariings,
who gave her no anHieties and many
pleasures.
But on this snowy January day, Mrs.
La Rue having seen the children well
wrapped up and started for school, and
Miss Leonie Castlsmaine, her cousin and
guest, at the piano in the drawing room,
practicing new fantasia, had gone to he's
own private sitting-rOOms fer a quiet hour
Of troubled thought.
@Whers is Fred2" Miss Castlemaine had
inquired opening her glorious eyes q little
wider at the decided snap In her cousins
reply:
aHe has gone over to Mrs. Grants for
me-
Now it was Miss Castlemaine and Fred
who were troubling Mrs. La Rue almost
~ ~A-N- ---l-A --s--0 WeA--l-4A leN04 "a UL4-
durance.
Twice she had ventursd to hint to
Leonie that she was going too far in her
coquetting with Fred, and twice that lady's
silvery laugh had preceded the answer:
Nonsense, Imogenes he is only bOy!"
Well he was only boy, Just ia pre-
cociOuss sensitive boy, with an inherited
tendency to heart disease.
BE was John La Rus'g nephew, the son
OF his only brother. orphaned while very
young, and heir 20 property his uncle had
nursed carefully for him until it was a
handsome sum- and which, If Fred died
before he came Of age, would fall to Mrs.
La Rue's John and lmogene.
1t was this fact that had made Mrs La
Rue almost morbidin her care Of Frederick
La Rue from the time when he came to his
uncle's, and a big-eyeds pale-faced boy,
fral and sensitive and needing far more
care than her own rosy, healthy children.
IF the money would not come TO my
children" Mrs. La Rue thought, lit would
not be 50 dreadful; but the idea that thew
Will be richer If Fred dies makes me al
most crazy. What can do2 I cannot send
him away-he is too weak; and Lesnie
never hints at shortening her visit. What
can dor"
Travel over the ground as her thoughts
would, they came back always to the same
refrain-"What can do2n
Leonie Castismains was Mrs. La Rue's
first cousin, and q belle. No one had ever
disputed her claim 70 the latter title. Beau
tiful in the richest brunette type, she had
been trained by a foolish fashionable
mother for society. She was a splendid
pianist, had rich contraito voice, highly
cultivated danced with incompatible grace,
oOnversed brilliantly, and burst upon So
ciety as a star OF the first magnitude. Her
toilets we're marysls of Partisan art, and
II her mothers income were stretched to
murmured over scanty diet to adorn
Leonie. She was to make a dazzling mar
riage; that was understood. Nothing less
than o noblemhn would win such charms.
but the noblemen did not crowd about her
Somehow the artificial In her manner was
dramatic In her perfect bow; her sweet
voice was too we'll modulated; her attitudes
too we'll posed.
Seasons in London, Brighton, and
wherever the society focksd, had drained
the maternal purse, and Mrs. Castlemaine
had said, with pathos, ave have been iv-
ing on our capital for two years, Leonie,
and You are nearly tWenty-seven. al
mo st wish you had accepted Mr. Dolman. D.
And Leonie had replied, SAIr. Dolman
did not give me and opportunity"
@But what are We to do this winter7"
@Tl tell you'll III make Cousin Imogens
a visit. There Is q good society OF Ash
town, and at any rate II viii save my ex-
psnss towards summer at Scarborough
So. self-invited, this gorgeous butterfly
Of fashion had huttered into Mrs. La Rue'a
quiet home, while Fred was there, in
Valided by q course Of hard study OF col
iege.
Now filtration was the bread Of life to
Leonie Oaslemaine; and the tall boy who
threw his admiration into his voics ana
1yes Ia greeting her, was q handsome, re-
Aned specimen OF an Englishman. His
ayes were as beautiful as her own, with
his difference, that their expression was
dictated by his heart, while hers merely
bbeyed her viii.
It was but natural and altogether proper
hat Frederick La Rue should place him
self at the service OF his aunfs guest and
cousin he was her escort to the mild
designations OF AshtoWn; drove her In his
aunts pony carriage whenever . mild day
tempted her out; practiced duets with her,
the piano accompanying his violin; listened
10 her magnificent voice in song; and, not
gradually, but At once and for his life,
loyed her as only such passionate. sensi-
live temperament can love.
Even Mrs. La Rue. watching in fear, did
not realize the extent OF the mischief done.
She saw Fred's infatuation, but seeing, as
only a woman could sees through Miss
Castlemaine's many affectations, did not
see that every Well assumed grace and
charm were realities to poor Fred. How
could he know that the voice voice lowered
10 such exquisite tenderness for him was as
we'll trained for Irritation as for song2 He
never suspected that the beautiful eyes that
dropped under his ardent gaze had prac-
iced that shy drop Of the snowy lids with
dozens Of lovers
Sometimes he laughed, sometimes he |
grew indignant over his aunts Weli-meant |
cautions. What ~ Leonia was older than |
himself Love did not pause 20 count
gsar8l What d Leouio had been in So I
ei-E4 loE many aaalo11l she had cone